


ok but consider:

by Aintzane411



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Trans Character, check chapter titles for more tags, emphasis on the comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-12
Updated: 2017-04-28
Packaged: 2018-10-03 04:21:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 9,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10235780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aintzane411/pseuds/Aintzane411
Summary: Little vignettes into the Voltron team and how this beautiful found family copes with various issues like mental illness and sexual orientation and gender identity. They all care about each other very much and just want to help each other. Pure, tooth-rotting fluff.Will udpate tags with each chapter





	1. Keith and Lance, self harm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course, self harm trigger warning here! Nothing super graphic, really, but make sure to stay safe my friends!

_"My door's always open for you, dude. Any time, I'm here."_

  
Keith kept repeating Lance's words in his head as he paced outside the blue paladin's bedroom door. He knew that Lance had been telling the truth, and that if he knocked on that door right now, he'd be welcomed in with open arms. But it was three in the morning. And Keith had blood running down his arms. And there's no way that Lance would want to deal with this.

_"Any time, I'm here."_

  
Sighing, Keith stopped his pacing and lifted his hand to knock. He stared at the small smear of blood that his knuckles had left on the door as he waited for it to open. When it did, Lance stood there, rubbing sleep out of his eyes and looking confused.

"Keith? What's going on?"

Keith opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't seem to find the right words. Instead, he just held his arms out, revealing the neat rows of cuts. He felt tears prick at his eyes, but swallowed hard to keep them from welling up. He let his gaze lift to Lance's face, and was surprised to see that Lance wasn't angry or upset, but instead was calm and collected.

"Okay," Lance said, gently pulling Keith inside the room. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Ten minutes later and Keith had his arms wrapped carefully in bandages. He still hadn't said a word, but instead let Lance's soothing chatter fill the silence. When they were done, Keith found himself standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, not wanting to intrude, but also not wanting to leave. Lance sat on the bed and patted the mattress next to him, inviting Keith over.

"Wanna talk about it?" Lance asked as Keith sat next to him and rested his head against his shoulder.

"I..." Keith's voice was quiet. "I don't know. Not really. It's not a big deal."

Lance wrapped an arm around Keith's shoulders and hummed. "Maybe not to you, but to me it is. What can I do to help you in the future? To try and keep this from happening again."

Keith was quiet for a moment, thinking. "Maybe... Check on me? Before bed. That's when things get bad."

"I can do that. Anything else?"

"I don't know."

"That's okay. How about this: we can have code words so you can tell me how you're feeling without actually saying it?"

Keith slowly nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I'd like that."

"Okay," Lance said, eager to come up with a plan. "So how about a code word for when cutting is imminent? And then maybe another for when you're having a bad time and thoughts of hurting yourself start sounding serious?"

Keith sighed happily. "That sounds perfect. Thank you, Lance."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this all started because I started rambling on tumblr and came up with all these vignette ideas. (Feel free to check out the post here: http://aintzane411.tumblr.com/post/158126721723/this-was-gonna-be-a-short-post-about-queer)
> 
> It's going to be very freeform and flowy, and lots and lots of fluff. It's just me writing about how much this found family loves each other and how they help each other in any way they can!


	2. Keith and Hunk, body image

It's nearing midnight, and Keith knows he isn't going to be able to sleep. He's too keyed up from the mission earlier in the day that had almost ended in disaster. So instead of tossing and turning in his bed, he grabs his bayard and heads for the training deck. Surprisingly, it's already occupied. Expecting to find Shiro, Keith walks in and does a double-take when he sees Hunk, out of breath and in hand-to-hand combat with a training bot.

Keith waits patiently for the sequence to end, and when the robot finally powers down, he walks towards Hunk.

"Wasn't expecting to see you here," Keith admits, tossing Hunk a water pouch.

Hunk shrugs, ripping the pouch open and gulping the water down. He's struggling to get his breath under control and his hair is stuck to his forehead, slick with sweat. "Been wanting to get more training in," he explains weakly. It's a thinly-veiled lie, and Keith sees right through it.

"Really? You've been doing great in our group training, though." He's prodding, and they both know it. Hunk has never been good at lying, and Keith has never been good at subtlety.

Hunk sighs and wipes the sweat off of his face with the hem of his shirt. "I'm trying to lose weight," he confesses, blushing.

Keith's eyebrows raise. "Wow, okay, um, if that's what you want, then that's great that you're going for it," he says. "But you know, there's nothing wrong with how you are. You look great no matter what."

Hunk blushes even deeper and can't help but crack a smile. He drops his gaze to the floor. "Thanks, but actually... it's more like I want to fit into some clothes I got at the last trading stop." His eyes flicker to Keith's face, trying to read his expression. "More specifically... A dress."

Keith smiles and nods. "Okay." He drops into a fighting stance. "Then let's go. You'll get a better workout with a human than with a robot."

Hunk's eyes practically shine with happiness.

They train together almost every night after dinner, and two months later, Keith hears a knock while he's getting ready for bed. The door slides open and Hunk is standing there, looking both embarrassed and excited, with a pile of silky fabric in his hands.

"It fits," he says simply, and Keith grins, pushing Hunk into the bathroom to put it on, and when he comes out with the garment draping over his slimmer figure, they both know that all the hard work has been entirely worth it.


	3. Klance, self harm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another self harm trigger warning! Even less so than last time, but still be careful.
> 
> A follow-up to chapter 1.

Keith was in his bedroom, doing a few yoga stretches that Lance had taught him to help him relax before bed when there was a frantic knock on the door. Lance burst in, tears streaming down his face and a razor in his shaking hands. Keith sprung into action, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend.

"Keith, oh God," Lance choked out. "Take it away, I don't want to do it."

Heart pounding, Keith gently takes the razor from Lance and sets it on the nightstand before pulling Lance onto the bed with him. Lance had never had an issue with cutting, making this a huge surprise to Keith, but he knew exactly how Lance felt because Keith had been there so many times before.

As Lance began to cry harder, Keith wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close. Lance balled his fists into Keith's shirt and pressed his face into his chest. "I don't know what happened," Lance gasped between sobs. "Why am I so fucked up?"

"Shh," Keith soothed, gently rocking them back and forth. "Come on, deep breaths. It's okay. You're okay. You didn't do it, you came here instead, and I'm so proud of you."

Lance's crying only worsened, and Keith held him tightly for what felt like hours as he shook and cried and screamed until his voice was rough and raw. It took a long, long time, but finally Lance could breathe normally. When he was calm, Keith gently pulled away and puts his hand on Lance's cheek, who leaned into the touch. They slowly maneuvered until they were lying on the bed, face-to-face and arms wrapped around each other.

"I get it now," Lance whispered. "At least a little. I understand why you do it."

Keith stroked Lance's hair and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "I'm sorry that you had to go through this, but I'm so glad you came to me, Lance."

Eventually, they both fell asleep, and when the morning came, they flushed the razor down the toilet. And when they left the bedroom for breakfast, it was with a newfound understanding between them.


	4. Pidge and Shiro, questioning gender

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I 100% headcanon Pidge as a trans girl omg it's my fave headcanon

Pidge didn't mean to walk in at such an inopportune moment. She just needed to get Shiro's opinion on a program she was writing. Just a simple conversation, in and out and back to work. So she was understandably taken aback when she entered his bedroom to find Shiro staring at himself in the mirror, wearing a flowy knee-length skirt and some meticulously-applied eyeshadow and lipstick.

Shiro froze as the door opened, heart jumping to his throat. Pidge blinked a few times behind her glasses, taking in Shiro's panicked face.

Oh. _Oh._

"Please don't tell anyone." Shiro was surprised to hear the words come out of his mouth. They were a team. He shouldn't have to tell anyone to keep secrets for him.

Pidge felt her heart break a little. She stepped farther into the room and sat on Shiro's bed. "Talk to me," she insisted. "It's okay, I promise."

Shiro sat down in his desk chair, trying to ignore the shaking of his human hand. "I've worn dresses before," he said simply. Pidge nodded, remembering the time that he wore a dress to a diplomacy party in support of Hunk. "And it never meant anything." He took a deep breath. "But now I think it does. And it's terrifying."

Pidge smiled softly. "It really is," she agreed. "I remember sneaking into my mom's makeup when I was little. I did a terrible job putting it on, but I just felt so pretty and my heart was so light. I was on cloud nine. Everything was right with the world and I could finally breathe."

A single tear ran down Shiro's cheek as he felt something click into place. The two of them talked for hours, until Pidge's stomach reminded them that it was time for dinner. Shiro hesitated, glancing in the mirror, but after a moment of contemplation, he walked toward the door, skirt and all. Pidge followed him, pride blooming in her chest.

In the dining room, everyone glanced up at Shiro as the two entered. He was nervous, but his fears were pushed away when Lance groaned and made a comment about how it wasn't fair that Shiro had the perfect legs to wear a skirt while Lance was stuck with his skinny chicken legs.

The group laughed, and Pidge smiled up at Shiro before they both sat down as the others returned to their previous conversations.

Allura leaned over to Shiro, looking puzzled, but amicable. "I quite enjoy your outfit choice," she said sincerely, "and I wanted to ask if we should change how we talk about you? Is there something else you'd like to be called? Pidge has told me about transgender people and their pronouns in the past."

Shiro blushed, not expecting her to ask what she did. He smiled and thought for a moment before shrugging and laughing. Allura joined in, and soon enough the whole table was laughing and Shiro knew that no matter what happened, everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to throw out ideas for other vignettes! I'd love to hear your headcanons and ideas!


	5. Klance, genderfluid Lance

Keith was gay. He knew that. He had known ever since he was little. It was the Disney movies that clued him in at his sixth foster home. Those princes were way too attractive for their own good and Keith didn't understand how anyone could possibly focus on the story when Flynn Ryder was right there, being adorable.

Keith was gay and had had a few boyfriends back in high school, but nothing super serious. A few kisses between classes, a make out session in the backseat of a car. Maybe a little dry humping, but that was it. And Keith loved it. He loved being gay. He loved saying, "This is my boyfriend," and he actually really loved holding hands with a boy in public and staring down the old white people who glared at him.

So when Lance came out as genderfluid, Keith didn't know what to do. Suddenly, there were days when he had a girlfriend. He had never had a girlfriend before, and the word felt strange on his tongue. He tried to remind himself that it was still Lance, no matter what gender, but when Lance walked into the dining room wearing a bit of eyeshadow and a flowery tank top, Keith didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to pull Lance's chair out? Offer his bowl of food? How are you supposed to treat a girlfriend?

Eventually, Keith found himself avoiding Lance. He knew it was the exact wrong thing to do, but he'd rather do something he knew was wrong than actually try and find out that his best intentions weren't enough. So he'd slip away after meals, sometimes to the training deck and sometimes to Red. He knew he couldn't keep it up forever, and sure enough, Lance managed to corner him in the cockpit.

"You're avoiding me," Lance said simply, bags creating shadows beneath dull blue eyes and shoulders hunched. "You don't have to do all this. Just break up with me, it's fine." Tears welled up and Lance blinked to try to keep them inside. It didn't work.

Keith's mouth fell open as he watched Lance start to cry. He had fucked up. He had royally fucked up. He rushed forward and wrapped Lance in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so, so sorry, Lance."

A sob broke through Lance's lips. "Just say it, Keith." The words were harsh. "I need to hear you say it."

"I love you."

Lance froze. "W-what?"

"Lance McClain, I fucking love you, and I'm sorry I'm such an idiot." He brushed Lance's hair back and gave a gentle kiss. "Help me help you? I want to be a good boyfriend, but I don't know how."

Lance's smile lit up the room. "Keith you're the best boyfriend I could ever ask for."

"And you're the best girlfriend I could ever ask for."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Get a load of not using any pronouns for Lance!!


	6. Keith and team, trans!Keith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Delta and jcicid, who wanted trans!keith. Tried to throw in a bit of gay!trans!keith, but only got the one nameless boyfriend. *shrug*
> 
> Also ended up really long omg! And kinda dark. I hope this is okay, guys. D:
> 
> Trigger warnings: slight self harm, major gender dysphoria, physical/verbal abuse, misgendering, wh*re slur
> 
> If you want to skip past the triggers, they're only in the italicized sections.

There were some things in life that were better left kept a secret. Like passwords. They should stay secret. Or the thoughts that go through your head when you're really mad at someone. You don't really mean the things you think, so it's okay to keep them secret. Keith had a lot of secrets. Some were easier to hide than others, but over the years he'd gotten good at hiding things. A decade of foster homes definitely helped, and he remembered walking on eggshells for months before starting to open up if the new family was trustworthy.

So when the five paladins of Voltron began the next stage of mental training, Keith was understandably nervous. They were going to dive into each other's minds and root around. They'd find out everything. Everything.

He'd tried to back out, to make excuses. His head hurt too much today. He didn't feel well. He and Lance were fighting again, and the exercise really shouldn't be done while angry, right, Coran? Of course. But excuses run out, and Allura's I-Mean-Business voice is mighty strong.

And that's how Keith found himself sitting cross-legged on the floor of the training deck, in a circle with the other four paladins. Shaking hands set the cyber band on his head, and he took deep breaths as he waited for instruction.

"We're going to go one at a time," Allura explained. For once, she was actually on the deck with them, and not giving direction from the control room. She sat a short distance away, far enough to give them their space, but close enough to be heard easily. "This is going to be difficult, both mentally and emotionally, but you must trust your teammates. They will take care of you. You are a family, and no one is going to get hurt here."

_Yeah, right._ Keith tried to will his heart to stop racing as he continued listening to Allura, who led them in a meditation to relax.

"We'll begin with Keith," Allura said. Of fucking course. "Keith, relax your mind. Open to your teammates and let them in."

With one more deep breath, Keith did his best to follow directions. Nothing happened for a few moments, but when the four other minds entered his, Keith was frozen in place. He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe. All he could do was watch as the others probed through his mind.

He felt Lance looking through Keith's memories of the Garrison, and he could feel the blue paladin's elation at realizing that Keith really did remember him.

Pidge was sorting her way through more recent memories, mostly aboard the castle ship. He didn't know why she seemed to take an interest in all the times he was training by himself late into the night, but she kept replaying them over and over again.

He could tell that Hunk was being gentle and trying not to push the limits of how deep they could go into his mind. Instead, he wandered around, looking at a few memories from the Garrison before stumbling upon a Christmas dinner from years ago that had the warm glow of family around it. It was a fond memory, and Keith was actually pretty glad that he got to share it.

Shiro was the one who found... it.

He had started at the Garrison, replaying memories that he shared with Keith from their time there. Slowly, he worked his way backwards, until he was watching Keith in one of his last foster homes.

_Rough hands shoved a younger Keith harshly against a wall and smacked him across the face. Keith wasn't crying, but instead his eyes were bright with defiance._

_The older man was yelling, but Keith ignored him to glance across the room at a boy standing near the door._

_"Go," he mouthed to the boy. "It's okay."_

_The boy hesitated, then whispered, "I love you," and slipped out the door._

_Keith sighed in relief, glad his boyfriend was out of danger, but was dragged back to reality by his foster dad yanking his long hair and pulling him to the floor._

_"You fucking whore," the man hissed. "When I'm done with you, you're gonna wish you were dead."_

Keith was still frozen in place, but he could tell that the other three paladins had noticed Shiro's finding and joined him in watching. It felt like a cruel prank. Keith felt like his worst memories were playing on a giant projector screen, and his friends were watching while eating popcorn and making jokes and talking too loud.

He shivered as a different memory began to play.

_He was younger this time, though not by much. A different foster home. A different set of parents, a different dinner table._

_"What do you mean you want to cut your hair?" The woman looked kind. She was plump, with rosy cheeks. She spooned a serving of mashed potatoes onto her plate._

_"Your hair is so beautiful, Katie."_

_Keith's heart clenched and he closed his eyes. Count to ten. And then back down to zero. His foster mom was still talking. She had a habit of rambling. Keith didn't hear her, though, he just kept counting to ten and back down again._

_"Katie, are you listening to me, young lady?"_

_He was jerked back to the dinner table by the harsh tone._

_"I said that I found your report card, and I'm extremely disappointed in you. You're such a smart girl, why do you let yourself get into those fights all the time? You could be the top of your class. You need to get yourself together. You're on your last chance, missy."_

_"Fuck you."_

_He didn't know why he said it. He didn't know why he shoved his chair back and threw his silverware to the table. He didn't know why he ran away. And when he came back, he wished that he didn't know why his bags were packed and his social worker was there. Count to ten, back to zero._

Please. Please stop. This was too much. He couldn't take it, he just wanted to run away like he always did. Now everyone's attention was fixated on his memories, and he could feel Shiro trying to dig deeper, like it was a game. Another memory was dragged to the surface.

_Staring in the mirror. Eyes red from crying. Hands shaking and scratching at skin. Everything was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Hands trail down chest, cup the breasts. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Press them flat. Better. Still wrong. Hands trail down, over wide hips. Wrong. Trail down, patch of hair. So wrong. So so so wrong. Nails dig in, hard enough to hurt. Small gasps of pain. Better. Hands fly up to face. Step closer to mirror. Soft, round, bare. Wrong. Fist flies out, mirror shatters. Knuckles bleeding. Better._

Keith forced his mind shut, immediately returning to the training deck and scrambling away. He was hyperventilating, but he couldn't stop. He was crying, but he couldn't stop. He wanted to run, run far away, but his body wasn't cooperating. He couldn't stand up. All he could do was curl in to a ball and wait to be hit.

No. He wasn't there anymore. No one was going to hit him... Right?

Heartbeat pounding in his ears, he didn't notice his teammates rushing over until Pidge's hands were on his, pulling them away from where they were tugging at his hair. Her mouth was moving, but he couldn't hear her. A pair of arms wrapped around him from behind, and the large warmth told him it was Hunk. Lance and Shiro were on either side of him, wanting to help, but not knowing how.

"Breathe, Keith. Breathe with me," finally Pidge's voice broke through the fear, and he struggled to follow her words. Breathe. He could do that. Her eyes never left his. "Count to ten," she said. "Come on, count with me. One, two..."

"Three," he whispered. "Four."

When they reached ten, they counted back down to zero. And again. And again, until finally Keith was calm. He came back to his senses and took in the sight around him. Allura and Coran were a few paces away, looking panicked. Pidge was still holding his hands, but was smiling now, glad he was coming back. Lance and Shiro were at his sides, gently rubbing his shoulders. Hunk's arms were squeezing him tightly, and the pressure was just right to keep him grounded.

"Hey," Pidge said softly. "That was some panic attack. You okay?"

Keith nodded. "Yeah." His voice was scratchy and he coughed. Suddenly, he remembered. His teammates had seen his memories. They had seen him naked. His eyes widened.

Pidge caught on quickly and tightened her grip on his hands. "Hey, it's okay. Don't think about it. You're okay."

Keith groaned and slammed his eyes shut. "But... You guys saw everything. Oh, God, you saw everything."

Shiro squeezed his shoulder. "Pidge is right, Keith. It's okay."

"But I'm trans and everyone always - Oh, God."

"I'm trans, too," Pidge interrupted him. Keith opened his eyes and stared at her. "I'm trans and you're trans and that's fucking okay, Keith. It doesn't change a single thing."

"Yeah," Lance piped in. "You're trans and you have a mullet and you're an amazing swordsman and the best pilot out of all of us."  
Keith felt himself starting to shake again, but this time it was out of relief. It was okay. It was okay.

"You're okay, Keith."

And, for the first time in a fucking long time, he was. He was okay.


	7. Shance, trans!lance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lance is on his period and shiro comes to the rescue!
> 
> for Sinalwayswinsdudebro who wanted trans lance. sorry it took me so long!

All things considered, Lance was surprisingly okay with his body and how he looked. He was tall and thin, and had had top surgery a year or so before he left for space. The hours and hours of training kept his body fat down, so he didn't have to worry about it gathering at his hips and thighs, and it was easy for him to build muscle in places he wanted it. He had never gotten a chance to start testosterone before leaving, but that was okay for now. He was fine with it.

What he was not fine with, however, was the fully-functional uterus that still resided inside his body.

Lance groaned and curled up tighter, hugging his knees to his chest. The first day of his period was always the worst, and this was no exception. The cramps had woken him up, and he was positive he was bleeding through his underwear and pants, because he couldn't even gather the strength to get up and clean himself up, let alone shove a tampon up there. So instead, he decided to wait it out. The cramps couldn't last forever, and besides, his sheets needed a good washing anyway.

That was how Shiro found him a few hours later after he had missed breakfast. 

"Lance?" Shiro poked his head in the door.

"Go away," Lance called from beneath his blanket cocoon. "I'm all gross."

Shiro didn't go away, in fact he came all the way into the room and next to Lance's bed. He reached his left hand out to feel Lance's forehead. "No fever. How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, Shiro, just leave me alone."

"You're obviously not fine, Lance. Let me help. Tell me what's wrong."

Lance sighed. Everyone already knew he was trans, so it wasn't like it was a big deal, but his face still heated in embarrassment. "I'm on my period," he mumbled, pulling the blankets tighter around his shoulders.

Shiro softened and gently stroked Lance's hair away from his face. "What can I do to help, babe?"

"I need a shower. I wasn't kidding when I said I was gross."

Shiro held his hands out and helped Lance stand. When the blankets fell away from him, there was a dark stain on his pajama pants and on the bed where he was laying. Lance blushed even harder, but Shiro just shushed him and made sure he was steady as Lance winced in pain. Shiro helped Lance to the bathroom. When the door was closed behind him, Shiro set about stripping the bed. He tossed the sheets to the side, planning on washing them later, and pulled fresh ones from the closet. After the bed was made, he darted to the med bay to grab some painkillers, then to the kitchen for a snack and some water. By the time he got back to the room, Lance was out of the bathroom and changed into a new set of pajamas. The dirty ones were tossed on top of the old sheets.

Shiro held out the plate of food and Lance grinned.

"Thanks," he said, and began shoveling food into his mouth.

When he was done, Shiro offered the water and painkillers, which Lance gladly accepted. They laid down on the bed together, Shiro pressed against the wall and Lance's back against his chest. As the painkillers kicked in, Lance slowly was able to relax, and he hummed contentedly as Shiro ran his fingers through his hair.

So maybe having a functioning uterus wasn't  _all_ bad. The cuddles were pretty great.


	8. All paladins, medicine and illness

They were all at dinner one day when Hunk asked Pidge what she'd been working on lately. Her face lit up enthusiastically and Coran beamed at her from across the table.

"Okay, so I think Coran and I have figured out how to synthesize some meds we had back on Earth!" She waved her spoon around, flicking bits of food goo everywhere, but was too excited to care. "My anxiety has been okay, so I used the last of my pills to analyze their components with the equipment we have, and I think I've managed to make a decent alternative."

Everyone was thorougly impressed and offered their congratulations at the discovery. Pidge grinned.

"If anyone else has meds they want me to try to make," she said, "I just need a pill or two to figure out the chemical composition and I should be able to have some ready within the week. Hopefully once I get the hang of making these, maybe I can try to come up with my own formulas and personalize treatments for different illnesses!"

"I didn't know you were into medicine," Shiro said.

Pidge shrugged. "I never was back at home, but when you have an anxiety attack over running out of anxiety meds, it kinda kicks your butt into gear." She glanced around the room. "Any takers?"

Hunk nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I'm almost out of anti-seizure meds. I'll grab them after dinner."

"I've, um..." Keith was quiet. "I've got some anti-psychotics you can take a look at. I don't need them that often, but it'd be nice to have them in the system in case I run out."

Pidge was practically bouncing in excitement, eager to use her new skills.

Sure enough, about a week later, Pidge burst into the common area, two pill bottles brandished in her hands. She tossed one to Hunk and set the other on the table by Keith. "Two prescriptions, ready to go!" She flopped on the couch and propped her feet up, basking in the success. The two boys had opened the bottles to take a look.

"I mean it looks exactly the same, so that's a good sign," Keith said playfully.

Pidge rolled her eyes and ignored him. "I think I can try synthesizing some new meds now, instead of just replicating what we already have. I'd kind of like to try a different type of anti-anxiety meds for me, but does anyone have any other suggestions?"

Lance popped his head out from under the blankets he was wrapped in. "Gimme some anti-depressants and I will be so happy." He snorted. "No pun intended. Also my IBS meds? I don't have it with me, but I have a picture of the label, if it helps. The food goo has been a blessing in disguise; I haven't had a flare-up in ages, but I'd like to have it just in case."

Pidge flashed a thumbs-up. "I'll give it a shot. Shiro? Want me to try anything for you?"

"I'm okay, thanks." Shiro didn't even look up from the book he was reading.

Lance crawled out from his blanket pile. "You sure, dude? I still hear you waking up screaming from nightmares. Maybe some of Pidge's anxiety stuff can help."

Shiro made a face and shook his head. "I always get nasty side-effects from medicine, so I do my best to stay away from it."

Hunk nodded. "I totally get it. The side-effects of my epilepsy meds are terrible, but it's better than seizures."

Pidge stood and stretched, turning to leave and start on her new projects. "Just let me know if you change your mind, Shiro." He nodded, and she left.

Lance was still lounging on the floor. He narrowed his eyes at Shiro, staring at him until he could feel the gaze boring a hole into his head.

Shiro sighed. "What, Lance?"

"So, if you're not gonna take meds, what are you gonna do?"

"Medicine isn't the only treatment for mental illnesses, you know."

Lance shrugged. "Yeah, but it's the best one."

"Actually," Shiro shrugged, "for a lot of people, medicine doesn't work at all. I didn't have too many issues before I left for Kerberos, but I did struggle a lot with depression, and no matter how many meds I tired, they never helped. My treatment plan was a lot of therapy and various coping techniques."

Lance huffed. "That sounds fake, but okay," he muttered under his breath, earning a laugh from Hunk.

"It's not that far-fetched, dude," Hunk chimed in. "My counselor did a lot of that stuff. Mindfulness, meditation, all that good stuff."

"Yeah," Keith added. "It was boring as hell to learn, but really works. I had to go through DBT classes two or three times to actually be able to use most of the techniques."

Shiro was nodding in agreement, and Lance was pulling blankets back on top of him.

"Not all of us were able to see fancy counselors, you know," he grumbled.

"We can teach you, if you want."

Lance poked his head out and narrowed his eyes at Shiro again, thinking. He jerked his head in a sharp nod and ducked back under the covers. Keith snorted, Shiro and Hunk laughed, and Lance's muffled voice told them all to fuck off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i read a great fic with epileptic hunk and i gotta go find it again bc it was really great!
> 
> i just really love these paladins and how they love each other and take care of each other even when they're all mentally or physically ill they are a wonderful family <3


	9. Lance, swearing

It started when Lance accidentally let an f-bomb slip in front of a poor, unsuspecting alien child. (Of course, said alien child didn’t know what the f-word was, but as soon as Lance realized he had cursed in front of a kid, he was a goner.)

After that, he was determined to reign in his mouth. Over the years in space, he had gotten lax on controlling his language, and he knew his mom would be appalled at the words rolling off of his tongue lately. Sure, he was an adult now, but children - alien or not - shouldn’t have to listen to his potty mouth.

“God fu–!”

The others were watching as Lance took his turn against a level 10 training bot. He was getting his ass royally kicked.

“Mother–!”

Pidge raised her eyebrow. “What’s up with him?”

Hunk shrugged. “He’s trying to swear less.”

“Why?”

“Cursed in front of a kid, I guess? I don’t know why it’s got him this upset though. Never stopped him from swearing in front of you.”

Pidge shoved her elbow into his side, but laughed and kept watching Lance. He wasn’t making any progress, just barely managing to keep the bot from getting any hard hits in. His bayard was in the form of two pistols at the moment, and he was taking advantage of their closer range.

The bot managed to trip him, and Lance tucked and rolled, landing in a crouch. He aimed a pistol and squeezed the trigger, but the bot was too fast.

“God bless America!”

Hunk giggled. Keith looked dumbfounded.

“What the fuck?” Pidge asked, trying to hold back her laughter.

Lance kept going, dodging and weaving, spouting random phrases when he missed a shot or almost got hit.

By the end of the training session, Lance had finally managed to take down the droid. As he raised his fists in victory, the others couldn’t help but finally let their laughter bubble up.

Lance furrowed his brow. “What are you guys laughing at?”

Shiro shook his head, smiling. “Hey, Keith, what was your favorite one?”

“I mean, ‘great Scott’ is a good one, but I’m gonna have to go with ‘son of a biscuit.’”

“Hunk?”

“Oh, definitely ‘tartar sauce.’ Can’t resist a good Spongebob reference.”

“Pidge, how about you?”

“‘Cheese and crackers.’ Followed closely by ‘good gravy.’ What about you, Shiro?”

“Oh, my favorite, by far, was when he said, ‘get rekt,’ but was very obviously referring to himself getting rekt, not the bot.”

“Yeah, that was a good one, wasn’t it?”

Lance had his arms crossed and looked annoyed. “Haha, whatever, guys.”

Hunk tossed his arm over Lance’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Nice job with the bot, though.”

Lance grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fyi this was entirely bc ive been swearing too much and have been trying to cut back so i frequently say "god bless america" and actually told myself to get rekt at work the other day


	10. Hunk and team, colorblindness

Hunk was skeptical about the package on the table in front of him. It wasn’t his birthday, as far as he knew. Nor was it Christmas or any other holiday that included gift-giving. Like, maybe it was President’s Day or something, but who’s ever heard of giving someone a present for President’s Day? Besides, they were in space, so why would they be celebrating President’s Day?

Everyone was standing around him, eagerly watching. He narrowed his eyes.

Keith huffed. “Just open it already!”

Slowly, Hunk pulled the package closer. It was a small box, only about six inches long. It was wrapped in some printer paper that had been doodled on to make it look festive. Hunk recognized the drawings as Lance’s handiwork. He carefully pulled at the bow on top, peeling it away from the paper and sticking it to the table. He knew how hard it was to come across supplies like these, and he was sure someone would want to use the bow for another present in the future.

“Hunk!” Lance whined. “I know you like to open presents slowly, but you’re killing us, man!”

Hunk grinned, but kept up his slow pace. Lance was right, Hunk had always liked taking his time on presents. It showed that he cared about the entire package, not just what was inside. Plus it meant he could re-use the wrapping paper later on.

He carefully slid his finger under the paper, un-sticking the tape and unfolding the wrappings. Soon, he was able to pull the small box out. He lifted the lid and his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

“Sunglasses?” he asked, looking at the eager faces around him. “Thanks, guys, but we’re kind of in space. We don’t really get close enough to any stars to need–”

“Just put them on,” Pidge interrupted. “They’re not sunglasses.”

Hunk lifted the glasses from their case and put them on.

“Holy shit.” He couldn’t help letting the swear word through. His chest was tight and tears were already starting to well in his eyes as he looked around. “I… I can see colors. Oh, my God. I always heard about glasses like these, but I could never afford them back home.”

Pidge beamed. “I had some spare time and we all worked together to make them.”

Hunk turned to look at her and grinned. “Your hair! It’s so… orange? Red? It’s so bright!” He stood up and kept looking around. When his eyes landed on Keith, he actually jumped a bit. “Holy crow, you wear that jacket all the time? It’s practically neon!”

Everyone was laughing, including Hunk, who tried to ignore the tears that were still in his eyes. Everything was so beautiful. His friends were so vibrant and colorful. He wouldn’t wear the glasses all the time, because it was honestly a bit too much for him. But it was nice knowing that every now and then he could see the world in color.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a few tumblr posts have suggested that hunk has protonopia and i am 100% down for that headcanon


	11. Lance, sexuality crisis

Lance knew what crushes were like, and this was  _not_ a crush. Honest to God, cross your heart and hope to die, not a crush. He had a Powerpoint! Not a crush. Nope. Negative. Uh-uh.

Back in junior high, with Olivia?  _That_ was a crush. The blushing like crazy in combination with the stuttering had left him an absolute mess any time he was around her. That was a crush.

In freshman year, he had a crush on Alma. Lance managed to keep his cool about that one, and actually got the point of asking her out. He pushed away the butterflies in his stomach and gave a cheesy pickup line, and she laughed and agreed to go out with him. They went on a date to go see a movie, and Lance was too nervous to try the fake yawn trick, so he settled with inching his hand closer to hers until their fingers intertwined and his heart sped up a bit. That was a crush.

He and Alma hadn't lasted long, and that was okay, because a few months later, Tia showed up in his homeroom and was introduced as a new transfer student. She was gorgeous, and Lance was smitten, determined to win her over. He spent all school year flirting and trying to get her attention, but she never glanced his way. That was a crush.

This?

This was  _not_ a crush.

Lance didn't know what it actually was, but it  _definitely wasn't a crush._

Because here he was, finally at the Galaxy Garrison, like he had dreamed of for years, and there was absolutely no way in hell that he had a crush on Keith Kogane. It just wasn't possible.

"Lance. Lance!" Hunk shook his shoulder, bringing Lance's attention back to the conversation and away from the cadet sitting at the next table. "Dude, you were staring again."

Lance felt all the blood in his body rush to his face. "No, I most definitely was  _not_ staring."

Hunk raised an eyebrow. "Come on, dude, you've got a crush on Keith. It's fine."

"It is  _not_ fine, because I do  _not_ have a crush!"

Lance's voice cracked on the last syllable. To his utter dismay, he saw Keith turn and glance at him. Lance squeaked and shoved his chair away from the table, grabbing on to Hunk's sleeve.

"We need to leave right away, right now, it's time to go, come on,  _vámonos,_ up and at 'em." He tugged at Hunk's jacket, pulling him out of the chair and out of the cafeteria.

* * *

They didn't talk about it until a few days later, when they were both laying in their beds in the dark of their dorm room. Neither one was asleep, and they both knew it.

"Lance?" Hunk asked softly, waiting until he heard a quiet hum of acknowledgement before continuing. "You know, it really is okay if you have a crush on Keith. Crushes happen sometimes, it doesn't have to mean anything. Just let it fade away and pretend it never happened if it's bothering you this much that you've got a crush on him."

Lance was quiet for a second. "That's not why I'm upset," he admitted. He was glad the room was dark.

"Then why?"

"I'm not... I've never..." He took a deep breath. "I'm not  _gay,_ Hunk. I just..."

Oh.  _Oh._ Now Hunk understood. That made so much more sense. He heard a sniffle from the other bed.

"Lance, it's okay," his voice was warm and open.

"I'm... I think I'm bi, Hunk." His voice cracked. "I know I am. But growing up, my abuela... And my mom... I can't tell them. Not ever."

"It's okay, Lance. Thanks for telling me."

"Thanks for being my best friend, Hunk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gaaaaaaaayyyyyyy
> 
> also i deleted most of the tags bc it was getting long lol the important ones are still there


	12. Pidge and Hunk, alcohol use/abuse

It was called Xiumin, and Coran had showed her the recipe stored in the castle archives. It had similar effects on Alteans that alcohol had on humans, and Pidge was dying to try it out on the rest of her teammates to see if it had the same results. So, on a night when things were calm and they had nothing to do in the morning, Pidge served up a round of the drink. It was bitter, almost spicy, but with a warm aftertaste that lingered on the tongue.

Lance absolutely loved it. He downed at least three of the drinks, and by the end of the night, was draped over whoever was sitting still long enough for him to stagger his way over to them. Keith had shoved him off a handful of times, but eventually gave in and let Lance collapse on top of him as they lounged on the couch.

Shiro took it easy, slowly sipping at his first drink throughout the night. He liked feeling buzzed and relaxed, but still wanted to keep his wits about him.

Hunk hated it and didn't drink any beyond the first sip. When Lance groaned and called him a party pooper, Hunk just grinned and shrugged, explaining how back on Earth he had never liked the taste of alcohol either.

Keith was on par with Lance for how many drinks he had taken. The two were equally as drunk, laughing and falling over each other as they competed in various challenges they came up with in their blurry haze.

Pidge, slowly but steadily, managed to finish six drinks over the course of the night.

Hunk kept a close eye on her, but she held her cool, and barely showed any signs of being drunk save for a slight weave when she walked.

At three in the morning, when Hunk heard throwing up in the next room, he went in and held Pidge's hair back while she heaved.

Pidge stashed the rest of the Xiumin in her room, not wanting to pour it down the drain like Allura had suggested when she came in to find almost everyone drunk. She was disappointed, to say the least. But Pidge couldn't bring herself to dump it out. She had loved how the drink made her feel both fuzzy and clear at the same time. Her brain slowed down, allowing her to actually enjoy a night for once. So she hid it under her bed, and so what if she took a few sips one night when she couldn't sleep? It relaxed her, and that was all that mattered.

So what if the few sips turned into a full drink?

So what if she started having another in the morning when she woke up?

And one after lunch?

And then again before bed?

She was finally relaxed and felt at ease.

* * *

Hunk was the one who finally confronted her about everything. He knocked on her door, and she gently nudged the bottle farther under her bed before calling out for him to come in. He sat down next to her on the bed, already smelling the alcohol on her breath.

"Pidge," he said worriedly. "I thought Allura told you to dump that stuff out."

Pidge just shrugged, picking at her cuticles and not meeting Hunk's eyes. "So what if I didn't?"

"You almost threw up after training again today."

"I haven't been feeling well."

"Pidge, this isn't good for you."

"It helps me relax."

Hunk sighed. "I'm worried about you. You're fifteen, for goodness sake, and you haven't been sober for a solid two weeks."

Pidge glared at him. "It hasn't been that long."

"I've been counting. Your eyes get all glazed over when you've had a drink." He glanced at her, but she was back to staring at her hands. "What's going on? There's gotta be more to it than just feeling relaxed."

Pidge shrugged. Hunk stayed quiet, waiting for her to open up. Pidge felt tears welling in her eyes, and before she could do anything to stop them, they began to spill over. "F-fuck," she said, breath hitching.

Hunk scooted closer and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as she began to cry in earnest. She leaned into his side and let out a few small sobs, trying to keep the sounds inside.

"I miss them so much, Hunk," she said, calming her breathing, but still crying. "My mom doesn't even know I'm alive. I don't know if my brother and father are out there still." She wiped angrily at her face. "I can't fucking find them, no matter how hard I try. Every time it feels like they slip through my grasp."

"Drinking isn't going to help," Hunk said quietly. "And I bet you already know that."

"Yeah. But it dulls the pain. It dulls everything and makes it hurt less."

He squeezed her tighter. They were quiet for a few moments.

"It's under my bed," Pidge said. "The rest of the Xiumin. There's not much left."

Hunk hummed. "That's okay. Thanks for telling me. What do you want me to do with it?"

"Pour it down the drain. I don't think I'm cut out for drinking alcohol. Maybe not ever."

"I think that's a good idea."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blehhhh its almost 1am and i have a headache and im sleep -.-
> 
> let! pidge! say! fuck!
> 
> give! pidge! her! family! back!
> 
> help! pidge! have! better! coping! mechanisms!


	13. Keith and Lance (ft. Pidge), sickness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> vomit tw near the end
> 
> idea from http://hurt-comfort.tumblr.com/post/159675841261/scenario and from glowingalienkid who wanted more keith hurt/comfort :D

Keith was exhausted. His head was pounding, and all he wanted to do was sleep for a solid week. But instead, here he was sitting in the common area, trying to focus on the tablet in his hands. Allura had wanted everyone to read about the planet they were visiting next and the culture of its people, but the words were swimming in front of Keith's face. He had been staring at the same paragraph for twenty minutes, and still couldn't remember what the aliens were even called. He closed his eyes, scrunching his face up. God, his head hurt so bad. He let the tablet fall from his hands, knowing it would survive the short drop to the floor, and let himself flop sideways on the couch. A ten-minute nap wouldn't hurt. That's all he needed. Ten minutes. Eyes still closed, his face relaxed as he ignored the throbbing of his head and drifted off.

* * *

 Lance had been planning the prank for weeks. Maybe even months at this point. He had gotten the idea while watching Keith tie his hair up in a ponytail one day during training, and had been keeping his eyes peeled for a way to execute it. On a trip to another space mall, he found the wig. It was in terrible condition, but had a few wefts of long, black hair that would work perfectly. He told Pidge about the plan, and her eyes lit up in excitement.

So when Lance poked his head into the common room and saw Keith sound asleep on the couch, he knew it was time. He darted away to find Pidge, and they silently made their way into the room. Lance had a pair of scissors in one hand, and a length of the fake hair in another.

"Okay," Lance whispered. "Fake laughing, loud enough to start to wake him. Once he starts waking up I'll--" he waves the scissors, grinning like mad.

"Got it," Pidge said, giving a thumbs up.

Lance winked and turned to Keith, who was laying on his side on the couch, face pressed into the back cushions. Lance reached out towards his hair, and Pidge let out a giggle that was only partially forced.

"Lance!" Her stage whisper was good. "Lance, no!"

"Shh!" He saw Keith starting to stir. "You'll wake him up!"

Keith's face was scrunched up, and he tried to burrow deeper into the cushions to escape the noise. Lance's fingers wrapped around a tuft of Keith's hair, grabbing at the longer strands from the back of his head. He tugged, ever so gently. Not enough to startle him awake, but enough to bring his awareness up. Pidge giggled again, and Lance saw Keith's eyelids flutter. As soon as they opened, Lance snipped the scissors shut, getting as close to Keith's ear as he dared so that the sound was unmistakable.

The reaction was instantaneous.

Keith's eyes flew open and he shot to his feet, bringing a hand to the back of his head. "What the fuck, Lance! Did you just cut my hair?"

Lance, who had been in exactly two (2) school plays back home and was quite proud of his acting skills, widened his eyes and held his hands up. He was still holding the scissors in one hand and the fake hair in the other. "Shit, Keith, I didn't mean to cut that much off, I'm really sorry."

Pidge struggled to contain her laughter as she watched Keith grope the back of his head, trying to find the cut strands. To his dismay, he realized his hands were shaking and a lump in his throat that was getting harder to ignore.

"Why would you do that?!" he demanded. "Do you hate me that much? What the  _fuck_!"

Lance felt his façade slipping. "K-Keith, I'm sorry, I didn't mean."

There were tears in Keith's eyes, and he gave in and let them fall. His head hurt so bad still, and he was still so tired, and then Lance had to go and do  _this?_ "I know you already hate me, there's no need to fucking rub it in," he spat, rubbing the back of his hand against his eyes. He swayed on the spot. "I just--" His eyelids fluttered, and Lance dropped the scissors and fake hair on the couch, taking a step forward.

"Keith? You okay? It was a prank, okay? Fake hair. Take a deep breath."

"I don't... I don't feel..."

Lance rushed forward as he saw Keith sway forward dangerously. Keith slumped against Lance's chest and groaned.

"Jesus, Keith, you're burning up." Lance turned to Pidge, who definitely wasn't laughing anymore. "Help me get him to his room."

* * *

 

Between the two of them, they quickly got Keith to his bed, and Lance peeled his jacket off while Pidge pulled off his boots.

"Guys, I told you, 'm fine," Keith mumbled as he instinctively curled into a ball.

You are absolutely  _not_ fine, Keith," Lance insisted. "You've got a nasty fever, and you almost collapsed back there. Pidge, go see if you can find the space equivalent of Tylenol." She gave a mock salute and darted out the door. Lance glanced back at Keith, who was pale and clammy. Lance sighed and pulled the desk chair next to the bed. He brushed Keith's sweaty hair away from his forehead.

"'M fine, Lance." Keith tried to swat his hand away, but his movements were sluggish. "Just lemme sleep."

"I'll let you sleep once we get some medicine in you, okay?"

Keith nodded, then groaned and clutched at his head. "Hurts."

Lance gently ran his fingers through Keith's hair. "I know."

Keith's breathing was heavy, and he groaned again, curling tighter around himself. A few tears leaked out of the corners of his eyes, but Lance pretended not to notice. "Fuck," Keith said softly. His eyes were glazed over, but they suddenly widened and he began to shove at the bed, trying to push himself up. "Oh, God, I'm gonna puke, fuck."

The two scrambled to get Keith to the adjacent bathroom, where he promptly flung himself in front of the toilet and began to heave. Lance knelt next to him, holding his hair away from his face and rubbing his back. They sat there while Keith gagged, Lance muttering soothing nothingness in an attempt to comfort him. He made a point to not look in the toilet because he knew that the puke would be bright green from all the food goo they eat, and that was a sight he definitely did not want to see.

When Pidge finally found them in the bathroom, Keith's stomach had been emptied, and he was just leaning against the cool metal. Lance was still stroking his hair and talking idly, occasionally getting Keith to smile weakly.

"I found meds," Pidge said, holding them out. "Fever reducer, plus it'll probably knock him out for a few hours. Looks like he could use some sleep."

Keith rolled his eyes. "I'm right here."

Lance smiled and took the medicine. "Thanks, Pidge. I got it from here."

He got Keith to take the pills, and they stayed in the bathroom for a few more minutes to make sure he was done puking. When they moved back to the bedroom, Keith's eyelids were already feeling heavy with the effects of the medicine. His headache was finally fading, and he gratefully slumped against the matress, giving a long sigh of relief. He barely even noticed as Lance pulled the sheet up over him.

"Do you need anything else?" Lance asked.

Keith shook his head. "Thanks. Sorry I freaked earlier."

"No, it was my fault. A stupid prank and a bad day to do it."

Lance stood from the chair that still sat next to the bed and began to leave, but Keith grabbed his wrist.

"Stay?" Keith asked softly. His face felt warm, and he knew it wasn't the fever. "Just till I fall asleep, then you can go."

Lance smiled and sat back down. "You got it."


End file.
